Your coffee gives them a future
Coffee-loving churches have helped one long-standing CRE exhibitor raise £100,000 for charity over the past 10 years.
‘We are delighted that, through sales of our products, we have been able to support Toybox, an amazing charity that works with street children in Guatemala City,’ said Kingdom Coffee’s Darren Rayner (pictured).
In just 12 months, Toybox has helped:
- 100 street children and young people a month, providing night-time support and distributing food, drinks and basic medical care
- More than 100 street children, actively involving them in life-skills workshops, recreational activities and child rights workshops, where they also received food and drink
- 63 street children access therapeutic and psycho-social support
- 38 street children access health care
- Supported 95 young people in street situations to gain work skill
- Supported the education of 343 street children and young people
‘The good work doesn’t stop here though,’ said Darren. ‘We are continuing to support Toybox and look forward to doing so for the foreseeable future.’
Visitors to CRE Midlands 23 will find a Fairtrade Coffee ‘that tastes as great as the work it enables.’
• Kingdom Coffee are on stand P1 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Cover the risk, see the reward
Faith-based organisations can find solutions to many key problems with the help of a specialist insurance company.
That’s the view of Simeon Chapman, group director at chartered insurance brokers Hazelton Mountford, based in Worcester city centre with an office in Evesham.
‘In the ever-changing landscape of risk and insurance, we can combine elements of faith, community and resilience,’ explains Simeon.
With so much currently depending on risk assessments, and the fear of action against them if things go wrong, churches can easily give up and do very little. Simeon’s recipe for a community hub, however, involves churches adopting a commendable approach to risk management, diligently identifying, evaluating and controlling risks associated with their ambitious endeavours.
Over the past few years his company, celebrating 15 years in the industry, has found that financial prudence can be a hallmark of a faith community.
‘With transparent financial management practices and responsible allocation of funds, the recipe can form the base of a community hub that provides enough revenue to employ a number of workers,’ he maintains.
Within this vision, a hub can offer a wide range of activities, from live-streamed services to active youth work, as well as providing vital support programmes for the local community. All that, plus events for the church congregation throughout the year, such as picnics, BBQs, occasional wedding and funeral/memorial services. Small groups of singers and musicians, based at the hub, could go into the neighbourhood and undertake evangelistic activities.
‘Even in the face of challenges, communities can collectively identify, evaluate, control and transfer risks while making a profound impact, with insurance part of the protection and solution,’ continues Simeon. ‘In the midst of life’s uncertainties, faith and community can be our greatest assets in navigating the challenges that come our way.’
• Hazelton Mountford are on stand E31 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Why Birmingham youth are ‘open to claims of Jesus’
For 13 years an interdenominational event in the city has been run successfully by Birmingham City Mission’s youth team – and you can find out about it at CRE Midlands next month.
Called Fulfil, it is for both churched and unchurched young people and creates an important connection point of faith and fellowship. The initiative is particularly important with Birmingham classed as Europe’s youngest major city – under-25s being nearly 40 per cent of the population and facing huge pressures.
As Steve Botham of Time4Brum puts it: ‘We have more than 400 schools, four universities, a “super diverse” population and all the excitement, innovation and energy associated with youth.’
Yet the pressures affecting children and young people are evident. The world of digital devices, social media, the ongoing effects of the Covid years, exam pressures, political agendas and gender confusion all impact young people’s mental health and wellbeing. For many inner-city young people there is the daily reality of knife crime, addiction, economic deprivation, lack of opportunity, racial injustice and disenfranchisement.
But, through Fulfil, Birmingham City Mission (BCM), formed in 1966, is still playing a key role in bringing young people back to God.
John Platt, BCM youth team co-ordinator, said: ‘We have detected a growing interest in spiritual things among young people. This has been the experience at our after-school clubs, with young people asking deep spiritual questions. Perhaps a growing disillusion with materialism, failings in authority and the hopelessness of atheism mean that many young people are open to the claims of Jesus. To them the distinctiveness of Christ stands out.’
He points out that youth leaders are seeing a growing number of young people across the city with a deepening passion for Jesus. Prayer movements are being formed, led by young people. Younger generations are using their gifts in churches and young migrants are playing a key role in revitalising the Church. Fulfil is a vital part of the programme but, as with all BCM projects, could not function without volunteers.
‘We are so grateful to people who give up their time to provide the staffing and skills needed,’ he said.
Heather is a volunteer at youth camp. ‘I enjoy my role with the youth team,’ she said, ‘because it allows me to see the joy on a young person’s face, not only when they get to hear the good news of the Lord but also the joy of trying new things. It encourages me in my faith.’
• BCM will be on stand E15 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Come as a group and reap the rewards
Come as a group and reap the rewards – that’s the message from organisers of next month’s CRE Midlands 23 (8-9 Nov).
From bishop to bell-ringer, vicar to verger, a day at CRE Midlands 23 (Cranmore Park, Solihull) will be one of rich discovery. You’ll meet 170 charities, missions and church suppliers displaying everything from clergy clothing to customised keyboards. A series of 50 talks and presentations will cover issues of practical concern like faith sharing and fund raising, holiday clubs and homelessness.
Rachel Jenkins, pastor at the Church at Junction 10 in Walsall, said: ‘As a staff team we are coming to the exhibition to look at the latest products and services available to us as a church. We will journey together and use it as part of working creatively, finding solutions for the context in which we minister.’
In the late 1970s Pastor John Price and his family followed a call to establish a worshipping community at Junction 10 of the M6, miraculously acquiring the site to build a church that reached out to the wider community. His successor Jon Bentley, built on this legacy, moving the church towards a foundational expression of church and mission. Following Jon Bentley’s tenure, a new eldership was appointed to lead the church.
Meanwhile Revd Jeremy Alcock, from St Martin in the Bull in Birmingham, has bought his own ticket and ordered six more for his congregation.
CRE event director Brett Pitchfork said: ‘It is impossible for one person to discover all our exhibitors and talks programme has to offer in one day. That’s why we encourage churches to bring a leadership team and focus on specific areas of responsibility. Best of all, your tickets are valid over both days.’
Entry to CRE Midlands is just £3 each for a group of three or more, if your tickets are bought in advance from here (£8 on the door).
Cartoon by Canon Taffy Davies
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Want children to tune into the Bible? Lego and let God
Churches looking for ways to get children to tune into the Christmas message would do well to check out Go Chatter Videos’ multi-media resources.
The Coventry-based company will be at CRE Midlands 23 with an 8ft by 4ft Lego set based on Bible narratives. They will also show a series of animated videos with Lego figures that bring to life well-known biblical stories.
Joshua Whitehouse and Joshua Manley, who joined the Go Chatter Videos team last year, are responsible for all the animations and editing.
The company are offering a complete Christmas Lego multimedia resource for children’s groups and services. The pack contains loads of ideas and resources for running a Christmas Lego multimedia group or family service and includes six animated Lego Christmas videos, games, talk notes, crafts and publicity resources.
With Hope Together, Go Chatter have also developed an augmented reality Lego Christmas story trail – a quest to find hidden videos that tell the Christmas message. A series of five videos, each activated by a QR code, feature Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the wise men and Jesus. This augmented reality video search is soon to launch nationwide in the toy stores of The Entertainer.
Go Chatter’s Dan Rackham will talk about the project at CRE Midlands 23 (12pm, Wed 8 Nov, Talks Area 2) and the Go Chatter Videos team will be available to chat to visitors to the exhibition over both days.
• Go Chatter Videos are on stand B3 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
For kids in these times, the Bible that rhymes
The Rhyming Bible, by celebrated children’s author Bob Hartman, is now a musical – and excerpts from the stage production will be part of Saltmine Theatre Company’s contribution to CRE Midlands 23 (1pm, Wed 8 and Thu 9 Nov).
‘For all age and primary school children, the Rhyming Bible has been wonderfully received by schools and churches and we are delighted to highlight it at the exhibition,’ said Saltmine’s new co-artistic director Simon Rodda.
The drama will run for about 40 minutes with extracts from Switch Up, one of Saltmine’s preventative education resources for secondary schools, highlighting the problems of gang culture and knife crime. Switch Up has been shown to Angelique Foster, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
‘It was powerful, covering the risks and consequences of carrying a knife,’ she said. ‘Feedback from the students was emotional and the performance has obviously made them think hard about the issue.’
A scene from The Liberator, Saltmine’s brand-new outreach resource for churches, will also be part of the programme. Based on the work of Rob Lacey, it sets the life of Jesus in a modern idiom.
The company have been performing all over the UK for the past 45 years, using drama to teach people and inspire them with faith, hope and love. The team will be available at CRE Midlands 23 to talk to visitors about possible appearances in churches or local theatres.
• Saltmine Theatre Co are on stand DS40 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Church visitors puzzled by ‘magic’ of Makerfield
If there is one characteristic that describes us best it is our commitment to excellence in all we do.
So says Trevor Sidebotham, who started Makerfield 18 years ago and has more than 30 years’ experience in installing audio visual and security systems.
‘As a family firm we take pride in our track record, and our reputation as experts in our field, working nationwide in a variety of buildings and environments – churches, halls, cathedrals and educational establishments,’ he explains. ‘Being an independent company means no task is too great, no job too small. Our attention to detail ensures our clients really do receive a truly professional service.
‘We have a wealth of experience working in places of worship, and take pride in our excellent reputation of providing a reliable, professional AV service for any church building.’
From initial contact through to technical support, each stage is personally supervised by Trevor and Christian Prescott, director of installations, who also has more than 20 years’ experience in the field.
The minister of one church wrote to Trevor saying: ‘We want to record our deep appreciation for your excellent work, for the great equipment and for your friendly yet professional manner.’
Another church praised the sound system Makerfield had installed, writing: ‘We’ve had three services since it was installed. People are still commenting on what a huge difference it makes. Everyone is also very impressed with how well the equipment blends in with the church surroundings and most have had to play “spot the speakers” to actually work out where they are!’
And even dog owners appreciated it when Christian fitted a PA system for their show. The organisers said: “Thank you for giving up your valuable weekend to provide the PA system for our dog show. We are indebted to you and your dad for the kind loan of the PA system. The roving microphone was superb and everyone could hear us loud and clear.”
The variety of projects Makerfield work on demonstrate the company’s versatility and experience.
‘We realise that unexpected events may occur which alter the daily church routine, ‘said Christian. ‘Therefore, we provide a service which is as flexible as possible, to give clients the option of having work carried out at a time convenient to them. Our follow-up service ensures there is always someone on hand when needed.’
• Makerfield Systems will be on stand P13 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
After bereavement: how churches can offer light and hope
Churches can have a huge role to play in helping grieving people recover.
So says Rev Cassius Francis, project co-leader and church trainer with CRE Midlands 23 exhibitors Loss and Hope, a Christian coalition offering resources to help churches support bereaved families.
With many years’ experience ministering to those who have suffered bereavement, Cassius will speak on the need for Christians to provide support – and how Loss and Hope can help (3pm, Wed 8 Nov). He will introduce the Bereavement Journey, a course that is rapidly being taken up by churches in more than 200 locations across the UK. The specific focus of the talk will be on the benefits of the seven-session format for not only supporting grief but preventing mental ill-health and transforming lives. Click here for more information on Cassius’ contribution at CRE Midlands.
‘Our vision is that no bereaved person in the UK should be unable to find support when they need it,’ he explains. ‘It will be great to be at Cranmore Park and sharing within my home city of Birmingham. The exhibition will provide another platform for followers of Jesus to showcase what we are doing to provide support in this city, the wider region and around the UK.
‘There has rightly been a national focus on mental health support for communities as we emerge from the pandemic, but we and our colleagues in the bereavement sector have become increasingly concerned about the lack of focused support for people experiencing grief. People often confuse bereavement with mental illness and unsupported grief can be suppressed leading to mental ill-health.
‘Our bereavement signposting website, ataloss.org, currently has the greatest number of people referred to it from mental health charities, because grieving people don’t know where else to turn or because unresolved grief has been identified as the root cause. In fact, unresolved grief is behind many of society’s problems. The Bereavement Journey is designed to help people explore past losses as well as those who are recently bereaved. Leaders are reporting exciting results, of many people attending from outside church and lives being changed by the hope that is offered.’
• Loss and Hope are on stand DS27 at CRE Midlands 23
Revd Cassius Francis is the Church Trainer and Resourcer for Loss and HOPE, a coalition project of AtaLoss, equipping churches in bereavement support. He is also a minister with the Wesleyan Holiness Church and a community paediatric chaplain with Birmingham Women’s & Children’s NHS Foundation Trust.
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Introducing the church guide that never sleeps
Not many churches have staff to give visitors a guided tour – but now there’s Info Point to do the work at any time.
Developed by Midlands-based company Wildfi Ltd, Info Point is a dedicated multimedia guide system for churches, museums and outdoor attractions. It delivers tours and interactive games, such jigsaws and word searches – to visitors’ own mobile devices.
Brothers-in-law Dan Boys and Joe Middleton launched Info Point in 2013. It requires no internet connectivity, has no impact on the church fabric (it simply plugs in) and can be placed on a convenient shelf or table.
It can also display 3D models, which are great for showcasing artefacts that might not be visible, such as church bells or items donated to museums.
‘Only those coming to church will be able to access Info Point content,’ said Dan Boys. ‘Therefore, it rewards people for visiting. Fewer visitors carry cash and donations are suffering because of this. Info Point offers a text-giving facility, making it easy for people to donate as a response to their enjoyment of the improved visitor experience.’
During the past 12 months, Wildfi has developed a solar-powered Info Point product that can be utilised where no power is available, such as churchyards (above). The plug and play system, complete with battery and solar panels, is often paired with a visitor information panel containing instructions on how to connect. Info Point Solar has already proved successful on nature reserves and other green spaces.
Perhaps most importantly, Wildfi now offer a funding support package.
‘We know most churches don’t have spare cash lying around to purchase an Info Point, even though all the ones we speak to would love one,’ explained Dan. ‘So we now have in-house experts who will apply for funds on behalf of the church leadership with a current 100 per cent success rate in accessing funding.’
Dan and colleagues will be at CRE Midlands in Solihull to demonstrate the system and show how it enhances the experience of church visitors – and encourages donations.
• WildFi Ltd are on stand C13 at CRE Midlands 23
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands
Ecclesiastical earn ‘Best Buy’ rating from consumer champion
One of CRE’s key sponsors has been rated highly by a major UK consumer champion.
Both Ecclesiastical’s Set Sum Insured and Bespoke home insurance policies have been rated as Best Buys by Which? A Best Buy is only awarded to products and services that receive high scores during thorough testing by independent experts, representing the best in their category.
Which? analyses and rates 21 aspects of buildings cover, 40 areas of contents cover and 25 features in both policies before awarding star ratings and, for the products that score highest, a Best Buy recommendation.
Richard Coleman, managing director at Ecclesiastical Insurance, said: ‘Our ambition is to be the most trusted and respected specialist insurance company and this recognition will help new and existing customers to recognise Ecclesiastical as an insurer that provides comprehensive cover and the peace of mind that comes with it.
‘As part of the charity owned Benefact Group, every home insurance policy we sell helps to fund good causes in the UK. By doing business with us, our customers are helping to support our goal of doubling our contribution to good causes, helping to transform lives and communities for the better.’
This latest positive rating of Ecclesiastical’s home insurance product follows on from the specialist insurer topping Fairer Finance’s Home Insurance league tables for the 17th successive time in the Spring and receiving the Gold Award from Times’ Money Mentor.
New customers receive a £130 donation for the cathedral or church of their choice.
• Ecclesiastical are on stand P29 at CRE Midlands 2023
Book your ticket for CRE Midlands 2023 here from as little as £3
Organisations looking to book a stand should contact James Batterbee 0161 250 2306 (E: james@creonline.co.uk) or Carol Malpass 0161 250 2467 (E: carol@creonline.co.uk)
Click to view the latest floorplan and price list for available stands